White Ferns thump Sri Lanka to stay in hunt for World Cup playoffs

The White Ferns have crushed Sri Lanka by 102 runs in their final group game at the T20 World Cup to keep alive their hopes of reaching the semi-finals.

Amelia Kerr starred with the bat and ball.
Photo: PHOTOSPORT

Batting first in Paarl, New Zealand posted 162 for 3 with Amelia Kerr scoring 66 and Suzie Bates 56.

In reply, Sri Lanka were all out for 60 in the 16th over.

Kerr and Lea Tahuhu took two wickets apiece, with Fran Jonas, Hannah Rowe, Jess Kerr and Eden Carson taking one wicket each.

After heavy defeats to Australia and South Africa in their opening two games, New Zealand have bounced back with big wins over Bangladesh and now Sri Lanka.

The White Ferns are now second in Group 1 on four points behind already qualified Australia, however the New Zealanders will need another result to go their way to advance.

Sri Lanka also have four points but are behind New Zealand on net run rate.

Hosts South Africa are fourth in the Group on two points, but they are yet to play their final game, which is against bottom of the group Bangladesh on Wednesday.

With South Africa’s run rate still superior to New Zealand’s, the White Ferns need the Proteas to lose to progress.

If South Africa beat Bangladesh, they will advance alongside Australia.

In the White Ferns win over Sri Lanka, Bates and Kerr combined for a second wicket stand of 110, their nation’s third-highest ever at the tournament.

Sri Lanka were meek in reply, with the defeat ending their hopes of progression to the semi-finals.

New Zealand preached positivity in the lead-up and Bernadine Bezuidenhout epitomised that approach, crushing a series of fours through the leg side when the bowling was too straight.

She raced to 32 from 20 balls but played one shot too many off Achini Kulasuriya, spooning a catch to Chamari Athapaththu at mid-off.

Bates and Kerr dropped anchor with the former picking up where she left off in the win over Bangladesh, piercing the field beautifully with the first two balls of the ninth over.

The pair didn’t score at an express pace but Kerr chose Athapaththu’s 13th over to accelerate, cover driving for four and then whipping through square leg to make it 93 for one.

Sri Lanka’s fielding was lacklustre – Bezuidenhout was given two early reprieves, Nilakshi de Silva shelling an easy chance to get Bates and a point blank run-out missed later on.

Kerr brought up her maiden T20I half-century off 40 balls and Bates her 24th in the closing stages.

The White Ferns rattled along to a fine total despite Bates being stumped for 56 and Kerr run out for 66 in the final over.

Sri Lanka coasted to 22 without loss in reply before capitulating.

Harshitha Samarawickrama holed out to deep midwicket off Eden Carson’s off-spin and then Bates took a stunner running back from mid-on to dismiss 17-year-old Vishmi Gunaratne for a duck.

Nilakshi de Silva swiped at a yorker and was clean bowled for a duck to leave Sri Lanka floundering on 24 for three.

Athapaththu briefly remained among the rubble but the hammer blow came when the captain was trapped in front by Amelia Kerr, given not out on field, a decision overturned on review.

The collapse continued when Anushka Sanjeewani chopped onto her stumps off Tahuhu and the quick got another in her next over when Kavisha Dilhari patted to extra cover.

18-year-old Jonas struck in her first over, bowling Oshadi Ranasinghe for three, and Sugandika Kumari was skilfully run out by Bezuidenhout at 48 for eight.

After a brief resistance from Malsha Shehani and Inoka Ranaweera, the former was bowled by the outstanding Amelia Kerr and Achini Kulasuriya not batting due to injury.